The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-12-15

the movement" which disintegrated the
old Conservative party and finally re
suited in the crystalizatien of the present
Republican forces, as Gen.. Malone Is
movement. The VIRGINIAN does Eot
concede this. The movement which made
the disruption of Conservative party pos
sible was thatssuggested and supported by
the VIRGINIAN and adopted by the Repub.
licans in 1877. That was, to place no ticket
in the field in that year for State Offices
That Was the inception of the movement y
and every proposition that entered into the
platform of the movement" had been
presented, discussed and supported by the
VIRGlNIAN, while every Conservative pa
per, including the Richmond Wing, Gen. Ma
homes personal organ. was arrayed against
them. The first movement looking to
a readj ustment of the debt as form ulated
in the funding bill of 1871. originated in
that was held, in relation to it, was pre-
sided over by the late Geo. Seawright, of
this county. Had the Republicans, in
1877, nominated a State ticket, we would
have had a repetition of the campaign of
1886. when the sniggern was the rallying
cry of the Conservative party. To bring
the debt question and other important
State issues before the people, it was
deemed ,expedient that the Republicans
should remove all excuse for appeals to
sectional and race prejudices. This they
did, and out of that movement grew the
present Republican party. Gen. Malone
subsequently very ably and adroitly led the
movement, and in 1881 achieved decisive
victory. That result was due to Hon.
j. f. Lewis accepting the second place on
the Gubernatorial ticket So Gen. Ma
hone was not alone in that contest. All
the credit was not due him, no more than
was the credit of originating the Riddle
berger bill. But he and his close friends
have appropriated it all to him. Not only
this, having been placed in high POSI-
tion, as the result, he used the power and
patronage attaching thereto to promote
his own schemes and reward his personal
friends, Indifferent to and regardless Of
the welfare of the party which elevated
him, and to which his obligations were
first due. This arbitrary ,unwise and unjust
exercise of power, had been borne with
patience to the end that dissensions might
not arise in the party. But this patience
was not appreciated. 1t was construed
i,tr oil yicb facr Inv
Traitor" to the party was familiar
term to be applied to those who presumed
to question the wisdom and right of one
man to dictate to 100000, and the process
of crushing out'' was initiated to silence
those who dared to think for themselves
and publicly utter their thoughts. Such
things had to have an end. A free people
could not long submit to them. Patience
ceases, sometimes, to be a virtue, and
when that condition is reached, it is a
public duty to enter protest, 1t is essen
tial to party success that it should be en-
tered, It is due to the manhood of par
ty it should be. There is no public posi-
tion that ought to be considered para
mount to a sense of party duty, and when
reference is made to the election of the
member of Congress from the Tenth
district, those who make it mistake
the man, if they think that he can be infu-
enced by insinuated threats or will quietly
submit to palpable wrong for fear of Of
Tending the wrong aoer. Ddice and posi-
tion are not so desirable that they must be
purchased by sacrifice Of self-respect, of
honest beliefs, and the integrity of the Re-
publican party. When such things are re-
quired to propitiate favor and win sue
cess, then another selecti~n WigI have to
be made than he who now las The honor of
representing this district in NoHgra SIS
Highly as he may appreciate Tie CO, fidence
and support of his fellow citizens s- nould
not ask them for it if it implied a surlen-
der of conviction or the subordination of
the interests of the party to the selfish
plans and plots of any man or set of men.
The Republican party is more important
than any mans personal ambition, and
when it comes to the question-as itseems
now it has-whether the party has to havea
healthy existence in Virginia, or one man
is to be empowered to use it to crafty his
insatiate greed for power, the editors of
the VIRGINIAN will be found battling for
the Republican party and its principles, as
against all lesser and more ignohle infu-
ences.